Augmenting effect of sizofiran on the immunofunction of regional lymph nodes in cervical cancer.

The immunomodulating effect of sizofiran on regional lymph nodes (RLN) was studied in cervical cancer and benign gynecologic tumors comparatively between treated patients (sizofiran intramuscularly (1) 1 day (20 mg) before and (2) 8 days (20 mg) and 1 day (20 mg) before surgery; n = 34) and untreated patients (n = 21). The RLN (internal iliac lymph nodes) were dissected surgically, and freshly obtained mononuclear (MN) cells were studied to observe interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and lymphokine-activated killer cell and natural-killer cell activities. The infiltration of surface phenotype of MN cells into RLN was determined semiquantitatively by immunohistochemistry. Sizofiran augmented IL-2 production of RLN, which was accompanied by a marked increase in the number of cells stained with anti-Leu-3a and IL-2 receptor. This effect was found more often in Stage Ib disease than in Stage 0, and it was not observed in benign tumors. These results suggest that stimulation with some antigens (e.g., cancer antigen in the current study) is necessary to induce immunoaugmentation by sizofiran which has no antigenicity. The augmenting effect was seen even in lymph nodes involved by advanced cervical cancer. Therefore, sizofiran was found to be a potent biologic response modifier in patients with cervical cancer.